Switch-board for telegraph-lines



(No Model.)

P. T. VILES 8v N. YOUNG. SWITCH BOARD FOR TELEGRAPH LINES.

Patented June 23,1891.

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Amulfnmi? @afin UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

FRANK T. VILES, OF' HYDE PARK, AND NICHOLAS YOUNG, OF BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS.

SWITCH-BOARD FOR TELEG RAPH-LINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 454,584., dated June23, 1891.

Application filed January 13,1891. Serial No. 377.683. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that we, FRANK T. VILES, of Hyde Park, in the county ofNorfolk, State of Massachusetts, and NICHOLAS YOUNG, of Boston, in thecounty of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Switch-Boards for Telegraph-Lines, of which thefollowing is a description suiiiciently full, clear, and exact to enableany person skilled in the art or science to which said inventionappertains to make an-d use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication, in which-Figure 1 is an elevation of our improved switch-board; Fig. 2, aperspective view showing the method of attaching the switch-hooks.

Like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts inthe different figures of the drawings.

Our invention relates to an electric switchboard which is especiallyadapted for use in telegraplboflices; and it consists in certain novelfeatures hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, the obj ectbeing toproduce a simpler, cheaper, and more effective device of this characterthan is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understoodby all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A represents the body of the switch-board, which ispreferably con structed from insulating material, and consists of twoside bars l, connected by crossbars tlf g 7L.

The board is attached in vertical position to a wall or other convenientplace by screws Above the board a cleat j is secured to the wall and thelinewires 7U' pass through said cleat and have their ends fastened byscrews Z to the crossbar d. Short wires m are fastened by binding-screwsZ in contact with the line-wires 7s, the free ends of said wires beinghelically coiled at p. A series of parallel brass rods q are mounted inthe cross-bars g 7L, respectively in alignment with the linewires le,said bars being held in position by their heads t and nuts r, turnedonto their opposite ends. Each head t secures a helically-wound wire `mvin electrical contact with the body of its rod q. Corresponding wires mon the cross-bars df are connected byfusewires n, of fine gage. Theportion of the switch-board in which said wires are located is known asthe spider-board, and is indicated byD in the drawings. A series ofparallel rods uf are secured in the side bars h of the switch-board andare arranged at right angles to the rods q at a sufficient distancetherefrom to prevent the current arcing between said rods.

A cleat 15 is secured to the wall below the board, through which linewires 1G pass. These wires are respectively held in electri cal contactwith the rods w by means of their heads 17 and nuts 25, turned onto theopposite ends of said rods. One of said wires, as 18, forms a groundconnection with one of said rods tu, there being one more rod and wirein the lower set than in the upper.

A series of contact or switch hooks II (best shown in Fig. 2) areemployed to effect contact between the rods yw and q. These hookscomprise two parallel bars 20, secured in an insulating knob or handle21 and sufficient distance apart to stride a rod q. The upper ends ofsaid bars are hook-shaped at 22 to take on a corresponding rod u', asshown in said ligure. A coiled spring 23 is wound on each bar 2O and issecured to the knob 21, the opposite ends of said springs beingconnected at 22 to bear against the rod q, so that said springs shallact expansively to retain the hook in position on said rod, and alsoeffeet a more complete electrical contact between them.

The operation of the switch is as follows: Two adjacent wires 7u connecta determined place with said board. The wires 1G connect the lower rodsw with an operating-table in the oflice, two of said wires running toeach table. To connect a table with a set of wires 1f, leading to suchdetermined place, two hooks II are placed astride the rods q,corresponding to said wires, their hook ends 22 being respectivelydisposed over the rodsw, to which the wires 1G, leading to the table areconnected. A circuit is thus formed through the wire 7.1, rod q, andhook II, a rod tu, and wire IOO 16 to the table and back over thecompanion wires and rods in a manner which will be readily understood byall conversant with such matters without a more explicit deseription.The extra rod q and wire 18 are elnployed to ground any determined wire7U- by means of a pin (designated 27 in Fig. l.) An. extra pin(designated 2S in said iigure) may be employed to cut out any one ofsaid wires in the ordinary manner.

It will be seen that the switch having the series of rigid rods q w,disposed as described, obvates all danger of the current arcing, asfrequently happens in switches of ordinary construction.Thespring-tensioned hooks II, when adjusted on said rods, cannot becomeaccidentally displaced and the circuit broken, obviating an objectionincident to the use of the ordinary pin-andssocket switch, in which saidpin readily becomes worn and works loose. In such switches thecross-conn ecting wires are concealed behind the switchwboard, which hasto be removed from the wall for making repairs thereto. In our improvedboard the parts are all exposed, so that the cross-connecting Wires canbe quickly and readily repaired when necessary without ren.-

dering the remaining lines inoperative. By this arrangement of partsaccidental cut-outs or crosses may readily be detected.

The fuse-wires o are of. exceedingly fine gage and frequently breakWhile being adjusted. By employing the wires m with the spirally-coiledheads p, intowhich said wires are wound, the danger of cutting thefusewires by the binding-screws and washers of the ordinary spider isovercome, while permitting them to be more quickly and taut-ly adjusted.

Having thus explained our invention, what we claim is- A detachableswitch-hook for a'switchboard, consisting of an insulated handle, twobars of uniform length extending therefrom and adapted to straddle aWire of one set, both of said bars being provided with springs and withhooks at their outer ends adapted to engage a Wire of the other set,substantially as described.

FRANK T. VILES.

NICHOLAS YOUNG.

Witnesses:

O. M. SHAW, K. DURFEE.

